Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo inside his Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could Cure" contest for the device he designed called the Bully Button, which is a necklace that children can press to alert someone when they are being bullied. less

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo inside his Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could ... more

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo inside his Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could Cure" contest for the device he designed called the Bully Button, which is a necklace that children can press to alert someone when they are being bullied. less

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo inside his Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could ... more

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo with his teacher Leigh Ann Mobarik inside their Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could Cure" contest for the device he designed called the Bully Button, which is a necklace that children can press to alert someone when they are being bullied. less

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo with his teacher Leigh Ann Mobarik inside their Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the ... more

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo inside his Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could Cure" contest for the device he designed called the Bully Button, which is a necklace that children can press to alert someone when they are being bullied. less

Fifth grade student Brian Chen, 10, poses for a photo inside his Toquam Magnet Elementary School classroom in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Chen was the runner-up in Scholastic's "If Kids Could ... more

STAMFORD — Brian Chen is only 10 years old but he’s already seen first-hand how bullying affects children. He was a victim of bullying a few years ago.

The Toquam Magnet Elementary School fifth-grader has ideas for how to help others in similar situations.

Chen was recently selected as runner-up out of 8,000 entries nationwide in Scholastic’s first “If Kids Could Cure” competition.

The contest asks students in grades K-5 to think of solutions to problems they notice in everyday life.

Chen thought of a device called the “Bully Button” to combat bullying in schools. Chen’s teacher, Leigh Ann Mobarik, said he took the initiative to research bullying on his own.

Chen had to draw his idea and write an essay explaining it. The idea is that students would fill out emergency contact lists, and if they were being bullied, they would press the button that they wore as a necklace to alert those on the list to their location via a GPS signal.

“I just want to help other people,” Chen explained.

Chen said he was inspired by devices that senior citizens have to alert authorities if they fall. But Chen is full of even more ideas.

He explained that he’s thought of an app that would help people find their lost cars in the parking lot through a GPS signal.

“Brian has always been a very caring, helpful individual, and he’s a friend to everyone in the class,” Mobarik said. “Him coming up with this idea to help others is just a reflection of who he is, and this contest has sparked in him more ideas to help others.”

Chen said he likes to draw and read, so this contest combined all of his interests since he had to research his idea and then actually illustrate it.

Chen’s prize includes $5,000 for the school that can be spent on science materials, $200 worth of Scholastic books for his classroom and $200 worth of books for himself.

“If we look to students more frequently to solve some of our big problems in life, we’d probably be amazed at some of the solutions they could come up with,” Toquam Principal Amy Beldotti said. “Even at age 10, it’s amazing how caring and globally-minded kids are.”